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The Margot family, including parents Roxanne and Dan and their daughters Rita, 7, front left, and Olive, 9, are hoping they can remain in Canada living in their dream home near Muirkirk, Ont. Their application for a work permit has been refused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and their temporary resident status has expired, leaving their future in Canada uncertain. Photo taken on Thursday September 7, 2017. Ellwood Shreve/Chatham Daily News/Postmedia Network

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Three years ago, former New Zealand residents Dan and Roxanne Margot poured their life savings into a farm house in this East Kent community as they looked forward to raising their two girls in a tranquil, safe rural setting.

Today, that tranquil feeling has been replaced by constant worry that the Canadian government will deport them.

The uncertainty of their future in Canada has also prompted the family to put their dream home up for sale.

Dan, 32, who is an aviation mechanic with a special skill working with aircraft gas turbine power plants, was offered the chance to work in the oil and gas industry in Canada. Having previously visited the country, which they fell in love with, the family was ecstatic about this opportunity.

Since Dan's particular skill is in such demand, his previous employer said he can live anywhere he wants in Canada, as long as he has access to an airport.

“We found this house and I thought it would be a nice life for the kids,” he said.

Life was going well for the Margot family with Dan regularly travelling to the tar sands in Alberta for work on water treatment plants. But that soon changed when the oil industry took a nose dive and Dan was laid off in January 2016.

Initially, it wasn't a big worry, since Dan has never had a problem finding work.

But, he would soon learn his work visa was only for his previous job.

“I've been to numerous job interviews where it was going very well up until the point I mentioned visa paperwork would have to be done,” Dan said.

He also learned the rules and regulations Canadian employers have to follow in order to hire a foreigner include having to advertise the position for a minimum of three months, including some time on the jobbank.gc.ca website.

He added the employer is also required to pay $1,000 for a labour market impact assessment that Service Canada carries out to ensure a Canadian is not being displaced.

“Once a favourable decision has come back . . . then only could I apply for a work visa,” he said. “I did not, honestly, think it would be such a mission to find other employment.”

Meanwhile they received a letter dated July 20, from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, informing them their application for a work permit has been refused. It also stated their temporary resident status expired on July 20.

The letter also informed the Margots that their application for permanent residence under humanitarian and compassionate grounds had not yet received initial approval, so they are not eligible for an open work permit, at this time. Roxanne is trained as a personal support worker.

The couple said if nothing changes by Oct. 20, they will have to leave Canada.

The Daily News contacted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on Wednesday and were informed the Margots case could be discussed if they agree to fill out a consent form. The couple plans to do that.

The Margots said Chatham-Kent-Leamington MP Dave Van Kesteren tried to intervene on their behalf as well. However, Van Kesteren's office said due to federal privacy laws, no comment regarding this matter can be made to the media.

Roxanne said this has been a trying ordeal, adding they simply want to work and raise their family.

“We can't even enjoy what we have, because we're too busy wondering what's going to happen in a month's time. Are we still going to be here?”

She added their girls, Olive, 9, and Rita, 7, are “very upset, they talk about it all the time.”

The expiration of their temporary resident status also means the girls are also not allowed to attend school.

Roxanne said her daughters visit friends, but “all their friends are back at school and they're feeling it.”

Since Roxanne was born in England and has a valid United Kingdom passport, the welcome mat is out for them to go to Spain, since Britain has not yet exited from the European Union.

What is making it even harder to leave their new home is the outpouring of support the Margots have received from the community. They said teachers have visited and other residents have brought by donations of groceries and vegetables from their garden.

Ridgetown mechanic shop owner Alan Delaet told The Daily News he undertook his own e-mail campaign to Governor General David Johnston to request he intervene.

He's also reached to Ahmed D. Hussen, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, but received no response.

Delaet said he stated in his email to the Governor General that he has nothing against helping people from other parts of the world who need a hand.

But, he noted the Margots are from countries that are part of the British Commonwealth.

“It's just mind-boggling,” Delaet said, adding the Margots are just decent people who want to work.

Looking around at their home surrounded by fields bursting with crops, Dan summed up their feelings when he stated: “It's the nicest place we've ever lived.”